Jungle Planet
by chuckchuckchuck
Summary: The voyager crew are forced to fight for their lives against an unknown enemy.  There will be JC but will focus on the story rather then just on their relationship.  Please read and review.  story just in beginning stages. lemme know if you like
1. Chapter 1

AN: I DONT OWN STAR TREK OR ANY OF THE CHARACTER EXCEPT THE ONES I CAME UP WITH ON MY OWN. THIS STORY IS IN THE BEGINNING STAGES AND THIS IS THE FIRST CHAPTER. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. THIS FIRST CHAPTER DOESN'T REALLY FOCUS ON THE MAIN CHARACTERS BUT AS THE STORY PROGRESSES IT WILL I PROMISE! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. THANK YOU!

"Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 53160.4. The past four weeks have been quiet, too quiet. Mr Neelix has made me aware of our dwindling food stuffs and has suggested we restock at the first opportunity. We have come across an M Class planet which holds out hope of being a treasure trove of food as well as much needed mineral deposits. The crew, ever diligent, are doing their best to hide their cabin fever - but they are failing. I have put together an away team that I feel will both benefit from the time off ship, and will also be successful in gathering the needed supplies. With any luck, we should be underway in two days time. Our course, as always, will be set for home."

/

Ensign Daniels was about to embark on his first away mission and he had been overjoyed when his request to accompany the away-team was granted by Captain Janeway. The sensors had picked up a beautiful jungle planet the previous day. The crew of Voyager had been both surprised and excited to discover it contained many food-stuffs and vital elements needed by engineering. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the planet was uninhabited - making the procurement of supplies much easier.

Daniels had been assigned to the food gathering detail lead by Mr. Neelix. He knew that the Captain probably agreed to his request simply to appease him, after denying him the opportunity countless times in the past. He hadn't had the best track record in the past, but he hoped to change that by performing well on this mission.

After receiving the captain's final approval to join the away mission, he downloaded and memorized the procedure's manual pertaining to his assignments. It had taken him all night, but he was too excited to sleep anyway. It was the better use of his time then tossing and turning in bed. The following morning, his hands trembled with nervous energy as he packed a small bag with essentials he would need during his deployment. It would simply be an overnight stay, but he managed to fill the entire bag before he realized he had no more room for a clean pair of socks and underwear. Standing still, contemplating his next move, he decided an extra pair of socks and underwear weren't 'essential' and he would be fine without them.

"Let's hope I'm only gone for one night." He said to himself aloud before he snatched his bag off the bed and hurried out of his quarters.

As he entered the transporter room, he was pleased to see he was not the last, or the first, to arrive. He was able to enter without being noticed, which suited him fine as he was generally shy and didn't like to be the center of attention. Noticing Neelix against the far wall of the room, he quickly made his way over to him to get further details regarding the mission and his assignment.

"Ah, Mr. Daniels. You've arrived!" Neelix smiled exuberantly and patted Daniel's shoulder. Even at this early hour, Neelix was his usual chipper self. "I take it you were able to get plenty of rest?"

"Plenty." Daniels lied.

"Wonderful. Now, please come with me. You and the rest of the team need to get acquainted. I want my team to be comfortable with each other before we leave." Neelix indicated to Daniels to leave his bag with the rest of them that had been stacked along the wall.

"That won't be necessary, I..." Daniels replied, not particularly excited about a meet-and-greet. Generally, he knew everyone aboard Voyager, the ship wasn't that big. But he was far from friends with everyone aboard ship, in fact, he couldn't really name anyone he was close enough to call a friend.

"Nonsense, come with me." Neelix took his hand and lead him to the rest of the team that waited a couple meters away - already getting to know one another better.

Daniels reluctantly allowed himself to be lead to the rest of the group. While he was nervous, and dreaded the awkward introduction he knew awaited him, he was willing to go through whatever it took to make this a successful mission. He desperately needed a result where the Captain would be pleased with him, but more importantly, one where he could finally be proud of himself. After years of screwing up, barely getting by, and narrowly escaping getting caught, he hoped this would be the first step in turning over that proverbial new leaf.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Neelix waited for everyone to finish their sentences and turn their attention to him. "This is Ensign Daniels. I'm sure everyone here knows each other, at least a little bit?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Hi." Daniels' voice sounded small, even to his own ears. He offered a smile and was surprised when nearly everyone smiled back. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all, he thought to himself.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Neelix asked the group.

At first, no one spoke.

"I know this is the first away mission for more then one of you here this morning. There has to be at least one of you with questions?" Neelix prodded the team.

Finally, someone spoke up.

"Are we going to have weapons assigned to us?" Ensign Gracie Stephens asked.

"Ah. A very good question, Gracie. The simple answer to that is, no. There are three separate teams on this away-mission. Our group, which is assigned the task of gathering food stuffs. The engineering group, who are assigned the task of collecting mineral deposits used in the warp core and weapons manufacturing. The third group is the security detail. They will have the weapons."

Neelix looked from one member of the group to the next. He saw apprehension in their eyes and added, "The planet is uninhabited. There is evidence of predatory animal life, thus the security detail. But don't worry, there is relatively no risk. The Captain gave me her assurance." Neelix hoped the mention of the Captain's word on the matter would help to solidify their confidence. He was pleased to see it had the desired affect.

"I have a question." Daniels spoke up, surprising even himself.

"Yes, Mr. Daniels?"

"Do you have a list with descriptions of all the varieties of vegetation we are to collect?"

"Why, in fact I do. I took the liberty of downloading an image and brief description of each of the varieties of plants we are after." Neelix handed each of the team members a small data chip. "Simply scan that information into your tricorder, and we'll be set for departure."

The entire team quickly downloaded the information they had been given, into their tricorders. Shortly thereafter, the group was ready and eager to depart.

Daniels made is way through the crowded transporter room in search of his overnight bag. He wanted to take the last few minutes before they left, to double check his supplies. He arrived at the wall where he thought he left his bag, but it wasn't there. He turned around and began frantically searching the surrounding area. Surely, no one had taken it?

"What's the problem, Mark?" Daniels was knocked off guard at the utterance of his first name. No one had called him Mark, since before he came aboard Voyager five years earlier. He turned around to see who had just spoken to him.

"Um..." Daniel's ability to speak had suddenly left evaporated as he saw who had addressed him. It was none other then, Gracie Stephens. His heart began to pound, and he could feel the sweat begin to form beads on his top lip.

"If you're looking for your bag, I'm pretty sure they transported it to the surface already." Gracie smiled at him.

"Um..." Daniels' voice squeaked. Um? Really? That's the best you could come up with? You're such an idiot. He chastised himself for not being able to talk to her. While he had never been one to comfortably speak with anyone aboard ship, Daniels had never been able to complete a full sentence when addressing Gracie. She was just too beautiful, smart, and out-right intimidating.

"Ok, well...I guess I'll see you on the surface then?" Gracie smiled again and took a deep breath before turning around to leave.

"Gr...um...hey!" Daniels called after her. "Thanks."

Gracie glanced momentarily back over her shoulder before proffering a quick nod and continued on her way.

"Man, you're smooth." Daniels heard the words come from behind him just before a heavy hand patted him on the shoulder. He turned around and found Ensign Joseph Morales standing there with a look of pity smeared across his face.

"I know. She probably thinks I have some incurable mental disorder that renders me completely and utterly doomed to my own stupidity." Daniels actually enjoyed JoMo, as he liked to call him. He would have to be the closest thing to a friend he had the past five years aboard Voyager.

They had been roommates aboard Voyager since the beginning, and JoMo knew the difficult time Daniels had getting to know people. At first, JoMo tried everything he could think of to bring Daniels out of his self-imposed shell - with no success. Now, he simply accepted that his friend was shy and needed time to let others get to know him.

"Aw, I don't think its all that bad, but man you have got to get some new moves. Ha! The ones you're using are not good. Not good at all." The two shared a quick laugh before they heard their names announced by the transporter operator.

"Well, I guess it's our turn to transport down." JoMo said.

The two men made their way up to the transporter pad, along with the rest of the team, and awaited the familiar disorientation of transport. The last thing Daniels thought about, before his decompilation into the pattern buffers, was how after this mission was completed, he was going to ask Gracie to join him in the mess-hall for a meal.

/

When his atoms were finally recompiled upon the planet's surface, his first thought was something had gone horribly wrong. Struggling to inhale, the thick-humid air immediately covered him in a blanket of moisture - limiting his body's natural cooling system. As if the sensation of drowning wasn't bad enough, the stifling heat, and surprisingly loud chirps and rings of insect life, brought about a sudden feeling of disorientation.

Daniels struggled to remain calm. He stood hunched over with his palms pressed to his ears, trying to muffle the noise that had begun to make his head spin. Feeling weak in the knees, he momentarily entertained the thought of simply lowering himself to the ground - curled up into a ball.

"...an...ey!" He thought he heard someone attempt to call to him. Lifting his head, he spotted a member of the security detail approaching him quickly.

"Ensign, are you alright?" The guard again attempted to talk to him.

"Yes. I think so. I just felt..."

"Not to worry, it happens to some people when they first transport down. The environment is extremely different than what's on Voyager. Its nearly thirty-six degrees Celsius, with ninety percent humidity. If that's not bad enough, many of the insects here communicate on the same frequency of vibration as the human eardrum - it can be deafening."

"I felt...dizzy." Daniels couldn't come up with a better description.

"Yes, the disorientation will start to subside as your body adjusts to the new environmental conditions." The guard patted him on the shoulder in way of reassurance before searching out others that may be suffering the same as Daniels.

Daniels watched the guard walk away. He could feel his clothes cling to him like a statically charged balloon, only they were wet and uncomfortable - bordering on sufficating. In hopes of finding a solution to his breathing difficulties, he fought hard against the irrational urge to tear his clothes off.

Spotting his fellow teammates a few meters away, he caught up with them as they headed off to collect their overnight bags. They were also going to need their supply bags to gather the food-stuffs. As he dragged his bags through the dense ground cover, he quickly realized, that he should have made room for the extra socks and underwear. His were already soaked through, and it wouldn't be long before he started to smell. Never a good thing to happen when trying to impress someone as perfect as Gracie Stephens.

"Gather around everyone!" Neelix waved his arms in a grand sweeping motion.

Daniels was secretly glad to see that he was not the only one who appeared to be suffering from the planetary conditions. JoMo had rivers of sweat dripping off his nose and ears. He looked like he had been swimming in his uniform.

"Hey buddy, you doing ok?" JoMo asked.

"Yah. Man this heat is rough." Daniels replied as he wiped the sweat from his face with his forearm. "I see Gracie seems to be coping pretty well though."

Gracie stood a couple feet away. She was clearly hot, and breathed heavily, as she waited for Neelix to address the team. However, to Daniels, she looked even more beautiful with glistening skin, and hair that no longer wanted to stay perfectly quaffed into a ponytail. She turned in their direction and smirked as she saw the two boys, who at first were staring, and then who were quickly attempting to appear nonchalant and absorbed in what Neelix was saying.

"I can assure you, that in no time at all, you will adjust to the conditions here. Remember to drink plenty of water and rest if you start to feel disoriented or light-headed." Neelix directed his team over to their bags. "Let's get started, shall we?"

The team, eager to distract themselves from the oppressive conditions, hurried over to get the equipment needed to identify and harvest the edible vegetation.

/

Daniels started to wonder if the tricorder was indeed waterproof. The sweat dripped from his hair and face regardless of how many times he wiped them dry. His tricorder bleeped. At least it's still working, he thought to himself. A picture of a plant, similar to a beet found on earth, was directly ahead of him. Kneeling down, he dug through the tall grass until he found the edible vegetable. Finding that it was easier to pull them out of the ground if he dug a small hole directly in front of it, he did just that. After wiping his brow, he pulled hard and upwards toward himself at the same time - the root gave way quite easily. After placing the item in his bag, he decided now was as good a time as any, to have a quick break and a sip of water.

"Hey, Daniels! Any good finds over here?" JoMo came walking up to his friend and sat beside him. The two men rested under a large leafy tree, and wished that the shade had provided some escape from the intense heat and humidity. Their wish was not granted.

"I found at least fifteen kilograms of capenagra root. I sure hope it tastes good." Daniels smirked.

"Ha! Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants. We spend all this time and effort out here collecting food for everyone and only to find out it tastes like some kind of Klingon delicacy." Both men laughed followed by a simultaneous shudder.

After sitting silently for a few minutes, the two friends got up and turned their tricorders back into active mode.

"I guess we should get back to work. I'd hate to get reprimanded for being lazy on my first away-mission." Daniels said.

"You know, I really wanted to tell you that...I'm really proud of you for coming along." JoMo shifted uncomfortably as he attempted to share his personal opinion.

"What? Come on, man. Let's not get all gushy." Daniels looked away, anywhere but directly at his roommate.

JoMo smiled and gave his friend a quick side hug before giving him a rough push aside.

"Get back to work." JoMo smiled and walked off toward a clump of promising-looking shrubs that might be hiding some edible plants.

Daniels was surprised to realize he was still smiling. JoMo had said just what he had needed to hear. For the first time in five years, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he had made a real friend aboard Voyager. Things were looking up already.

His tricorder bleeped - more capenagra root dead ahead. He plodded heavily through the long grass as he made his way deeper into the surrounding wooded area.

"Daniels! Stay in the clearing!" JoMo called out to him. Neelix had instructed the team to stay in the open. There were predatory creatures on this planet and it was easier for the security detail to monitor the team in the clearing.

"I'm fine." Daniels waved his arm to his friend, but didn't look back in his direction. He was only going to be a couple meters into the wooded area, well within visual range of the rest of the team.

A shadow passed by his peripheral vision while he was knelt in the grass digging up the cluster of roots he had just located. Startled, he looked up quickly, but saw exactly what he expected to see - trees. Rolling his eyes at his own overactive imagination, he busied himself at the task at hand.

Crack

Again Daniels looked up, this time his heart rate increased ten fold. He was sure, had he not already been sweating, he would have felt the familiar moist underarms and upper lip that always came when he was terrified.

Snap

The sound of a dried twig cracking, drew his attention to the left. At first he saw nothing but trees. He fought to control his breathing and the nervous energy that was bubbling up from within him. He closed his eyes, took two deep breaths, and reopened them.

Still nothing but trees.

Momentary relief passed over him like a cool breeze.

Something hot brushed past his ear. Reflexively, he grabbed for it. He wasn't surprised it was dripping wet, but what did surprise him was it dripped with blood - his blood.

He turned around to run for the clearing, only to stop dead in his tracks. A figure stood before him. Silhouetted by the sun, Daniels could only make out the vague outline of a large humanoid standing in his way of escape.

"Hello...I'm Da..." The second projectile passed through his upper right chest and hit the tree directly behind him. He looked down at the small hole left behind and marveled at how quickly his blood began to ooze from it.

He could feel himself begin to loose consciousness and desperately tried to remain standing and alert.

"Daniels! I said you're not..." JoMo rushed into the wooded area looking for his friend, but stopped short when he too saw the large humanoid standing near his friend. Next, he noticed a steady stream of blood dripping from Daniels' chest. Panic surged through the large ensign's body.

The alien turned toward JoMo, who quickly tapped his comm-badge and alerted the security team. The alien reached for another projectile he carried in a sheath on his back. He drew it out and placed it onto a bow-like weapon and aimed it at Daniels. JoMo rushed toward his friend.

"No! Daniels!" JoMo screamed.

Daniels saw that the alien had been distracted and rushed for the clearing. As he passed by his attacker, he glanced back to see JoMo charge the alien. The Starfleet ensign lowered his shoulder and rammed the large man. The alien simply shifted his own weight, allowing JoMo's body to slide past his own, before he shoved him hard to the ground. Daniels watched in horror as he saw his friend struggle to stand. The alien deftly drew a small spear and plunged it into JoMo's temple. Daniels' reality seemed to slow, as he watched his friend's body violently twitch. Blood seeped from his nose and mouth, and the sound of gurgling intensified as JoMo attempted to breath. Seconds passed like days, as Daniels witnessed the death of his best, and only friend. JoMo's body went limp - lifeless.

Daniels was about to return to the fight when two security personnel entered the wooded area with phasors drawn. The large alien stood up, raised both his arms above his head, and released a blood curdling scream. Daniels felt a deep chill for the first time since stepping foot on this planet.

The security detail opened fire, but not before two more men stepped out from behind trees with their own weapons drawn. The aliens seemed to appear from no where. They blended into the trees and surrounding flora, their camouflage had been made perfectly for the surrounding environment. Daniels turned and ran for the clearing. He could hear the screams of the security personnel behind him. Unsure if the phase rifles had no affect, or if they simply didn't have the time to fire long enough, it was obvious to everyone in earshot, the natives were winning this battle.

"Neelix! Neelix!" Daniels ran toward the rest of his team.

Everyone looked up at him in surprise.

"What's going on ensign?" Neelix asked.

"We aren't alone. Shots fired." Daniels was laboring to breath under the conditions and his own injury.

"You're bleeding." Gracie rushed over and placed her hand on his seeping wound. "We need to get you medical attention. What happened?"

Neelix tapped his comm-badge.

"Neelix to security team alpha."

No response.

"Neelix to security team beta."

No response.

"Oh dear." Neelix began to wring his hands together. "Neelix to Voyager."

"Voyager here, go ahead Neelix." Harry Kim answered almost immediately.

"We need to have immediate beam out of all teams. We are under attack." Neelix nearly screamed his request.

"Attack?" Harry's voice no longer sounded calm and confident.

"Neelix, this is the Captain. What's going on down there?"

"The Security teams are not responding, one of my team members has been attacked. We need immediate beam out."

"Stand-by." Janeway answered.

The whistling sound of arrows could be heard from the surrounding wooded area. The team, which had gathered around Daniels, looked up in horror as projectiles rained down on them like a swarm of killer bees. Screams downed out the sounds of insects, as one team member after another dropped to the ground - impaled by multiple projectiles.

Daniels last conscious thoughts were of his friend JoMo, the man who tried to save him. He only hoped his sacrifice hadn't been for nothing. He could hear the whine of the transporters and hoped that everyone would make it out alive. Hopes that would ultimately be dashed.


	2. Chapter 2

"We don't have anymore beds." The Doctor growled to himself when he realized three more bodies had materialized in sickbay.

His subroutines were working at peak performance levels, and yet he took a moment - stood perfectly still and visually took in the chaos that had descended upon sickbay. There was a variety of patients that needed his help. A few sat quietly on the floor, out of the way, where they waited for medical attention. Some clutched their injured limbs against their body, others applied pressure to their own head-wounds, and there still were others that simply sat near a friend who was in worse shape then themselves - offering support through whispered words and gentle touches. The few who were injured, and yet did not have life threatening injuries, were out numbered three to one by those that would not survive without his help.

The moment passed and the Doctor sprang back to life. He deftly moved through the crowd of injured, triaging as he made his way to the newest arrivals. Laying before him, were six bodies. Two were obviously dead, their injuries so devastating the Doctor was sure they had died almost immediately. The remaining four were critical. Multiple spears protruded from each of their bodies - the patient's moans and ragged breaths had become the overwhelming sound of the generally quiet work-place to which he had become accustomed.

"Doctor..." A patient reached for his arm that now waved the tricorder over his supine form.

"You're not making this any easier, ensign." The Doctor resumed his scans.

"No. Help her." The Doctor looked over to where his patient gestured and saw a young woman laying a few feet away.

"What's your name, ensign?" The Doctor continued to scan his patient to assess his injuries.

"Daniels. That's Gracie, I think she's injured more then I am." He winced as the Doctor touched the right side of his chest.

"You're plenty injured yourself. You have a collapsed lung and multiple puncture wounds to your chest, abdomen, and both lower extremities." The Doctor continued to scan him with his tricorder. "Nothing I can't handle, of course."

He motioned across the room for one of his assistants that had been assigned by the captain to help with the injured.

"I need you to extract the spears from his body, then use the dermal regenerator to close the wounds. If you run into trouble, and I'm sure you will, I'll be around." The Doctor stood up and hurried over to the next patient in need of his expert medical assistance.

He looked down at the young woman he now knew to be Gracie. He was happy to see she was conscious and appeared to be holding her own - minus the four spears that protruded from her back. He would know more after his scans.

"Is he...going to be...?" Gracie tried to ask, but couldn't catch her breath.

The Doctor followed her gaze. He was not surprised, she too, was more concerned for Daniels, then she was for herself. "He'll be fine. Your injuries are serious, but you will survive as well." He said as he continued to scan her body from head to toe. "You have a collapsed lung from one of the spears, your left kidney has been damaged, and your T12 vertebrae has been cracked. Fortunately, there is no spinal cord involvement and you should be fine in no time."

"I...we..." Gracie attempted to tell the Doctor what had happened on the surface. Naturally, he was curious, but he had priorities - saving lives took precedence over his curiosity.

"Yes, well...I'm sure it was awful. But I have more patients to treat." The Doctor whispered instructions to an assistant and moved on to his next patient.

/

"Tuvok. Report." Janeway demanded.

"Captain, all thirty six personnel have been beamed aboard from the planet surface. Eight are confirmed dead, twenty-eight injured."

"Who, or what, did this? The planet appeared to be uninhabited." Janeway stood, glaring at an image of the planet, slowly circling on its axis. She placed both of her hands on her hips and slowly turned to face her security officer. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

"We do not have any definite answers at this time, Captain. Ship's sensors are inconclusive. Reports from the injured suggest that camouflaged humanoids ambushed our teams." Tuvok faced forward with his hands clasped behind his back - not engaging in eye contact with anyone in the room.

"Not good enough. I want further scans made of the planet, its moon, and the surrounding area. If there are answers out there, I want them. I will be in sickbay trying to get some of my own. I am to be updated immediately with any and all information. Is that understood?" The severity of her tone and the intensity of her stare left nearly everyone on the bridge either sweating or desperate to find her the answers she sought.

/

"Report!" Janeway stepped through the doors to sickbay.

She was stunned at what was going on around her. The entire room was filled with the sounds of pain and desperation.

"Captain, I don't have time to talk with you right now." The Doctor pushed past her as he carried a limp, seemingly lifeless, body to a recently emptied biobed. "If I don't get her into surgery soon, she will die."

"What can I do to help?" Her rage was quickly being replaced by compassion for the injured.

"Stay out of my way." He took a quick glance around the room and changed his mind. "If you want, take a med-kit and start closing some of the puncture wounds." He gently placed the body he had been carrying, onto the biobed before he added, "Captain, what happened down there?"

"That's precisely what I intend to find out." She grabbed the closest med-kit she could find and rushed off to help the injured and ask questions. Someone was going to pay dearly for what happened to her people.

Kathryn wasn't sure where to start - there were so many injured. The first three bodies she approached, with the med kit and tricorder, had succomb to their injuries. She had seen and witnessed plenty of death and destruction in her lifetime, but nothing that hit quite so close to home. These people were her Voyager-family - their deaths were not going to be for nothing.

"Captain..." Kathryn heard a raspy voice calling to her. She quickly located the source and rushed to the ensign's side.

"Daniels." She knelt beside him with her hand resting lightly on his chest. "Hell of a finish to your first away mission." A gentle smiled crossed her face.

"There were so many of them." Daniels violently coughed, before gasping for breath.

"Don't try to talk, we need to get you better." Kathryn ran a tricorder over his body.

"No, you need to know what happened. JoMo...he saved me...he..." Again his body heaved and shook as he uncontrollably coughed.

Kathryn opened her med kit and began to close his wounds. Less then a minute passed when the Doctor's assistant came to help her with the patient. The two of them worked quickly for the next fifteen minutes and managed to remove the remaining projectiles and debris from the wounds. Within a few minutes, his wounds were closed and nearly healed.

"Your injuries have sufficiently healed, you'll be sore for a few days, but other then that, you're going to be just fine." The Doctor's assistant smiled at Daniels and then looked up at the Captain.

"Thank you. You had better get to work on the other patients - the Doctor can be quite...demanding." Kathryn shared a smile with his assistant before she moved on to help more of the injured.

"Now, let's move out of everyone's way and you can tell me all about it." Kathryn helped Daniels to stand, and the two of them moved off to a less congested area to talk.

/

The scans of the planet revealed nothing of importance and Harry was getting frustrated. He scanned and rescanned the planet's surface. It was eighty-five percent jungle with small clearings that were not large enough to contain a village, let alone a city of any kind. There were life signs, but upon further investigation, each turned out to be non-sentient lifeforms. He couldn't find any evidence of someone or something that could have made a weapon and attacked the away-teams.

"Commander, I have scanned the entire planet's surface, and I haven't come up with anything we didn't already know. What should I do now?" Harry hated asking for help, it always made him feel less then worthy of being on the bridge.

"Scan the two moons. Also try changing your search parameters to include varying resinating patterns. It wouldn't be the first time we have come upon a race of people that had a completely different energy fluctuation pattern then what our mitochondria produce." Chakotay didn't look up from his computer screen. He too, appeared to be desperate for answers.

"Aye, sir." Harry quickly began new scans to match the ideas given by the first officer. There was a part, albeit small, of Harry's ego that hoped he wouldn't find any new answers from Chakotay's suggestions - he didn't want to appear inadequate. However, his duty and love for his Voyager-family, took precedence over his immature need to prove himself, and he doubled his already extraordinary efforts.

/

"I'm telling you, Captain. The alien appeared out of nowhere. One second, I was alone in the forest, the next...I have a spear tearing through my body." Daniels' eyes were wide and seemed to plead with her for acceptance.

"I believe that what you're telling me is what it appeared to be. But my gut is telling me there is more to the story - more of an explanation."

"One thing that is clear to me. JoMo saved my life, and by doing so, possibly everyone else who survived down there."

"Thank you. He will not be forgotten. As soon as I get to the bottom of all this, we will have a memorial in honor of those that sacrificed themselves to protect the survivors." Kathryn put her hand on the young man's shoulder. "I promise." Their eyes met, and the deal was solidified.

/

"This can't be right." Harry muttered to himself.

"Ensign. Do you have something of significance to report." Tuvok asked.

"Sir. I'm not sure. I have not made any headway with my scans of the planet...but..." Harry continued to tap commands into his computer screen.

"Either you have something of interest, or you don't." Tuvok stated in his usual Vulcan monotone.

"Sorry. I guess I don't."

Bleep Bleep

"Wait a second." Harry's latest scan of the two moons just revealed something out of the ordinary. "There appears to be significant seismic activity on both moons."

Tuvok tapped the computer screen on his console. His head slowly lifted as he gazed at the view screen at the front of the bridge.

"Commander, the seismic activity does not appear to be from natural causes." Tuvok said.

Everyone on the bridge stopped working and stared at the view screen. The moons appeared to be vibrating at a violent rate - clouds of ash and dust began floating above their surface and fissures were forming along the equators and poles.

"What the hell is happening?" Harry knew he was out of line with his comment, but he didn't have time to care. He returned his attention to his computer and began to feverishly tap commands into it - an attempt at finding answers.

The moons continued their transformation. Within minutes, the surface of each moon had split apart allowing the Voyager crew to view deep inside. What the Voyager crew saw, shocked them. The moons appeared to have been created rather then naturally formed over millions of years. There were gigantic metallic support beams inside each moon which allowed it to split apart without completely crumbling into non-existence.

"I am detecting movements within each moon, Commander." Tuvok reported.

"What kind of movement?" Chakotay asked

Tuvok quickly began to search the computer data for answers. Nearly a minute passed before the Vulcan paused, cocked an eyebrow, and looked up at his commanding officer.

"There appears to be multiple ships emerging from each moon. Their course and alignment suggest a battle formation." Tuvok stated.

"How many ships are we facing - exactly." Chakotay asked.

"Forty-two in total, sir." Tuvok responded. "All heavily armed."

"Tuvok, go to red-alert immediately. Prepare for battle. We don't know what these ships are capable of and we are out numbered." Chakotay stood as the lighting on the bridge dimmed with a red hue, and tapped his comm-badge. "Chakotay to the Captain."

"Janeway, here. What's going on commander, why have we gone to red-alert?"

"I suggest you come to the bridge immediately. You'll need to see this to fully appreciate what's happening." Chakotay answered.

"I'm on my way." Janeway cut transmission and headed for the bridge.


	3. Chapter 3

"I want a full report, and I want it now." Janeway emerged from the turbo-lift. She looked ready for a fight - fists clenched at her side and a look on her face that could kill.

"Captain, there are forty-two vessels in attack formation headed directly toward Voyager. We have hailed them with no response." Tuvok informed her.

Kathryn's glare shifted from Tuvok to the view screen at the front of the bridge. The swarm of ships were closing quickly and she knew she had little time to act.

"Tom, be ready for evasive maneuvers. Harry, keep trying to hail them. Tuvok, I want to send them a warning shot, miss them, but let them know we mean business." Kathryn walked over to her command chair and sat down, crossed her legs, and watched the scene unfold before her eyes.

"Captain, no response from the enemy vessels." Harry's voice was tense.

"Captain, I have managed to isolate the enemy vessels' hull modulation frequency. It's a varying sequence which will be difficult to penetrate, but not impossible." Tuvok stated from his work station.

"Very well. Inform them they will be destroyed if we are fired upon. We do not want to fight, but we will defend ourselves with deadly force. Tuvok, program the computer to modulate our phaser frequency to match those of the enemy ships. I want to hit them hard and fast. Let's end this quickly." Punching a series of commands into her command chair console, Janeway contacted the Doctor.

"Captain? I don't have time to..."

"Doctor, we are under attack and there may be further injuries coming to you. Prepare yourself." Janeway interrupted him.

"Understood." He then disconnected the transmission as he went to double his efforts and make room in sickbay for more potential injuries.

Janeway watched as the swarm of ships began to surround her ship. Every cell in her body wanted to go on the attack, but that wasn't the Starfleet way. She knew the best defense was a good offense, but again, an unprovoked attack was unacceptable. Debating internally, Janeway remained motionless in her chair as she watched her chances of success disappear with the arrival of each new ship.

"Captain, we can't just sit here and wait to be destroyed. It is the only logical decision to attack first, the element of surprise may be enough for us to be victorious." Seven of Nine's voice was full of disdain - strained under the emotional load she tried to control.

"Thank you Seven, but we have protocol to follow." Janeway responded.

"Waiting to be destroyed is illogical. We are out numbered, and will be destroyed if we do not act." Seven argued.

"You're concerns have been duly noted. We will fight when I say we're going to fight. Until then, keep yourself busy running simulations and looking for tactile advantages in case this goes to battle." Janeway wanted to believe she could get out of this situation without an armed conflict, but she wasn't holding her breath.

"Captain, the four ships starboard, are charging weapons." Harry exclaimed.

"Target those ships, use evasive maneuvers. We may need to split the fleet into sections. Fire at will!" Janeway knew this was going to get ugly. She just hoped that no more of her crew would fall victim to this faceless enemy.

Voyager's inertial dampeners whined as Tom pushed the ship to its limits - avoiding attack and bringing the ship into positions of offense. Tuvok deftly fired phasers, adjusting their frequency and maximizing damage. Seven assisted Tuvok, tapping into the computer commands to fire and adjusting phaser frequencies to stay a step ahead of their enemy. Even with such great skill and effort on Voyager's side, the sheer amount of enemy attack took it's toll on the ship. Voyager's shields were failing, conduits and consoles exploded as enemy fire overloaded their circuitry. Smoke began to fill the bridge - air filtration systems strained to keep pace with the onslaught of the enemy attack. Life support began to fail.

"Janeway to Torres!"

"Torres, here Captain."

"We need more power to shields and life support systems."

"Captain, I'm giving you everything we got." B'Elanna screamed over the sounds of chaos that filled engineering.

Explosions could be heard echoing through Voyager. The ship was being torn apart at an increasingly rapid pace. The enemy had not adjusted their attack, but simply and relentlessly bombarded Voyager from every angle. They also managed to block any and all retreat paths, leaving the Voyager crew no option but to continue to fight for their lives. Voyager had managed to destroy thirty of the forty-two enemy vessels, but the remaining twelve out maneuvered and out gunned the damaged Voyager ship at every turn.

Life support had nearly failed, shields were gone, except for the port thrusters, propulsion was nonfunctional and artificial gravity was sporadic at best. Red alert klaxons could barely be heard over the sounds of internal explosions, over loaded circuits popping, and the chilling sound of the atmosphere leaking from many unidentified holes in the ships hull.

Janeway's heart sank as she realized her options had been systematically eliminated and only one remained. Abandoning ship was the only option if her crew had any chance for survival. She never thought she would ever have to make the announcement she was about to deliver.

"Chakotay?"

"Yes, Kathryn?" Their eyes met and a silent message was conveyed between them.

"I don't see any other option but to abandon ship." Her words were whispered into his ear.

"You've done all you can. We have to save the crew if we have ANY chance of survival." Chakotay's passionate tone gave her the courage she knew she possessed and knew she needed to convey to the crew.

"Tuvok, have the escape pods been damaged beyond use?" Janeway asked.

"No Captain. There are two pods that are unusable, otherwise they will sustain life."

"Good." Janeway paused before she addressed the rest of the crew. "Attention all crew members, this is your Captain speaking. You have all served this ship well. Your efforts have been great and you fought valiantly, not only today, but since we first arrived in the Delta Quadrant. I am ordering you all to leave your stations and head directly to the escape pods. Do not go to your quarters, as we have little time left. Set course to the planet's surface and we will try and regroup planet-side. This is an order. Abandon ship immediately!"

She cut transmission and looked around the bridge. Everyone looked at her, stunned that the order to leave Voyager had been given.

"You heard me, people. Abandon ship." She rushed over to her Captain's chair and began to type commands into the console.

Janeway looked around the bridge, her crew had dutifully followed her orders and had made their way toward the escape pods. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest as she set the self destruct sequence into the computer. She doubted Voyager would survive more then a few minutes longer, but she couldn't take the chance that her technology might end up in the hands of the enemy. After typing the final sequence of letters and numbers into the computer and verifying her command, the countdown began.

"Self destruct in fifteen minutes." The computer announced across the entire ship.

Janeway hoped that fifteen minutes would give everyone plenty of time to make it to the escape pods and leave Voyager to its fate. She stood up and rushed for the exit where the bridge escape pod awaited her. Just as she took her first step, a massive jolt struck Voyager and sent her flying through the air. She landed hard with a sickening crunch. Barely able to push herself up from the floor, Janeway struggled against pain and injury to drag herself toward the exit. Mind numbing pain filled her body. After multiple attempts to reach out for the chair in front of her, she realized her left shoulder had been dislocated as her arm simply hung motionless from the shoulder. Blood seeped from the apparent gash on her forehead, momentarily blinding her before she managed to wipe it away. She gagged on the blood that poured down her throat from where she nearly severed her own tongue when she fell. Smoke filled her lungs and her consciousness faded quickly. Just as she realized she may have taken her last step, she fell to her knees and felt the rough carpet rub against her face when she collapsed the rest of the way to the floor.

_Breathe_. Janeyway, thought to herself. _Breathe you idiot. Breathe_. Coughing and gagging while she gasped for air was all she could manage. Her vision was fading to blackness and she could no longer keep her eyes open. Her lids flickered closed and she prepared to take her last breath.

"Self destruct in five minutes." The computer voice sounded once more.

Kathryn Janeway's last thoughts were of her family back home in Indiana. She had hoped one day to see them again but now she realized that might never happen. A hot tear escaped from her eye and ran down her nose and onto the carpet. She was surprised at what she felt next. She could feel death come for her, it reached down and painfully grabbed at her clothes and body, as it pulled her across the rough carpet. This out of body experience was unexpected and unwanted. Janeway wanted to fight back, wanted to push against death and against the inevitable, but could do nothing but limply stand by while her body was taken toward the unknown.


End file.
